Nine Times
by TeenTitanzzLuva
Summary: When two people see each other continually throughout their lives, and finally meet, what's expected to happen? Friendship blooms. Trust blooms. But more importantly, love blooms. Hm, it must be fate. -AU-


_**Story:**_ Nine Times

_**(Main) Pairing**__:_ Natsu/ Lucy

_**(Side) Pairing(s):**_ Gajeel/ Levy- Erza/Jellal- Gray/ Lluvia

_**Summary:**_ When two people see each other continually throughout their lives, and finally meet, what's expected to happen? Friendship blooms. Trust blooms. But more importantly, love blooms. Hm, it must be fate. -AU-

_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Fairy Tail, only the author and company does

* * *

1. _***The first time they met was underneath a tree***_

A young girl at the small, tender age of seven sat under the big tree reading a book. Her golden hair, shoulder-length at the time, was up into two curly pigtails-tied with _bright_ blue ribbons. Big, innocent brown orbs with long eyelashes stared at the page, deciphering it. Contemplating it. Enjoying it.

She loved to read.

For a girl her age and stature it was thought "nerdy" but she didn't care. She was never ashamed of what she loved, and adored to do. No matter what anyone said, or thought about her.

But she had to admit…she liked to write _a lot _more.

A cool wind blew, very strong and persistent. The sky was overcast, with thick dense grey clouds looming above her. But she didn't notice because, well…the book was _way _too interesting. It didn't help that the tree was huge.

As she continued to read, a young boy was walking towards the tree.

He was just coming back from the park around the corner, hanging out with his two best friends Gray and Gajeel. His salmon-colored locks were windswept, a few locks covering his enigmatic black eyes. His pale pink lips were curled up in a pleased smile as he walked with quick strides, not caring about the weather at all. Despite the cold and dreary weather, sun-kissed skin poked from the collarbone of his shirt and exposed skin.

Children and parents walked frantically around him, rushing towards their cars worriedly. Loud noises came from the parking lot, bright lights flashing from all the automobiles.

But he walked on, until he saw the tree. He saw this tree every time he came to the park, but it never ceased to amaze him. Gajeel always teased him, but he ignored the boy nonetheless. The broadness and lush of the tree was beautiful and he kind of thought it as…his _thought_ tree. Often, he came under the tree and just_ thought_.

Truly, he really wasn't a thinker.

Or really smart either.

But sometimes-_more often on a sunny day_-he liked to think. He thought about his life. He thought about why he had pink hair-although he claimed it was a very faded red (which of course _wasn't _true). Sometimes he thought of why his mother died, and how he was left with a father that was caring, but barely there. Of course he thought about his awesome cat Happy and why he was this awesome color blue…But most of all he thought of how something _important _was missing.

Yes, he was young.

And his mother _did _die. But somewhere deep down…he knew that wasn't it.

So he pushed back some branches, rubbing his eyes as they got into his pathway of vision. But he pursued on, mud caking his black-sandals. Once he passed _all _the branches, twigs and what-else there washe found himself looking at a girl…and found her looking back at him.

At this age, he thought girls had cooties so of course he didn't _dare _go near her. He thought she looked nice though, especially because her eyes looked innocent and kind. But. She was still a _girl. _

To say the least, it was awkward.

He gulped, rubbing the back of neck. "Um…" He trailed off, watching her look down, biting her lip nervously. "Hey."

She just nodded, closed her book and ran from under the tree into the distance. He watched her go, shrugged and sat under the tree grinning, happy that awkward situation was dealt with and out of the way.

'_At least the tree is mine now…' he thought._

_- *0*-_

_2. ***The second time they met was six years later, both at the weird and awkward age of thirteen***_

The mall was a big attraction in Magnolia, especially for teenagers and people who had nothing better to do. Sweat, body odor and perfume intermingled together in the gigantic building…but for some reason, no one stopped coming. Maybe it was the food, even if the pizza tasted like cardboard. Or maybe, it was freedom. Everyone wanted freedom, whether they wanted to be aware of that or not. Yes, it had to be that.

Natsu walked down the mall with his two best friends and a few other guys they had just met at the junior high. They were talking and laughing about something while enjoying each other's presence. Loke, a new guy that was known as the "player" of the group checked out girls, hit on them sometimes, soon after, collecting their numbers. They all watched as he threw away some numbers, flashing that handsome smile that made the girls swoon madly. The rest of the guys were beginning to become annoyed.

Soon, Loke got his eye on a group of girls hanging by the pretzel stand. They were all insanely beautiful, a blue-haired girl with spunky glasses sipping lemonade. A tall, long-legged girl with long, gorgeous scarlet hair cascading down her back laughed loudly, her eyes closing in distinct pleasure. But the blonde…there was something _interesting _about her. Even though he found the red-haired girl prettier, he thought the blonde more attractive. The blue-haired girl looked too smart to believe his catch-phrases, so he wouldn't even bother with her. The red-haired girl was gorgeous yet intimidating so…she was scratched off immediately. Yup. He'd go for the innocent blonde.

One of his friends named Elfman (because of his size), tapped his arm. Elfman was a big, very kind guy, muscular for his young age and very tall. He adorned unordinary white hair, spiked short over deeply-tanned skin. The player looked over, slightly irritated. "Yes?" Loke asked, fixing his light green glasses and his hair distractedly.

"What are you looking at?" Elfman asked curiously, raising his thick eyebrows up expressively. The rest of the guys looked over at the situation quietly, mildly interested.

Loke grinned. "No…it's _who_ I'm looking at."

Gray, a handsome guy with deep ebony hair slapped his head. "Dude, give it up."

Gajeel followed Loke's gaze and saw the girls not really finding them super alluring at the moment. His eyes rested slowly on the blue-haired girl immediately because he recognized her. She was in his class for English and she was absolutely brilliant. Not that he'd admit that out loud.

Natsu also looked over at the rest of the girls not really recognizing any of them. Oddly, the blonde seemed familiar- and he didn't know why he felt that way. His pink-colored eyebrows furrowed. _'Weird,' he thought._

"Let's go talk to them," Loke said, nodding in the girls directions confidently.

The other four guys groaned, knowing that they could never argue with him when it came to girls. Virtually, it was impossible. "Fine," they chorused tiredly exchanging exhausted glances.

Slowly but steadily they walked towards the girls, more than half of the group wishing they could have gone to the mall _without _Loke. They were seriously regretting it. Instead they walked on; pass the random pedestrians in the mall, avoiding another spray of perfume and towards the lovely trio.

The girls swiftly saw them coming and they all sighed inwardly. This was the third or fourth group of boys trying to talk to them and it was growing tiring. The blonde girl, Lucy, watched the boy with pink hair curiously, thinking she has seen him before. But she didn't know where and when. That thought impacted her greatly and she dwelled on it. Once the four guys got to them they just stared at each other, Lucy and Levy-the blue-haired girl- trying desperately, not to laugh. They couldn't help but notice most of the guys looked bored out of their minds.

One boy stood in front of the group, very handsome. _Too handsome. _Brown, glossy hair framed his perfect face while he looked at them with an almost _arrogant _look. The red-haired girl named Erza narrowed her eyes cautiously, speaking up first while putting her hands on her hips almost majestically. "What do you want?" she asked, her voice holding a deep maturity for a thirteen-year old.

All the boys gulped except for Loke, who just smiled, winking suavely. Almost like he had _too _much time to practice that wink. "Just to talk."

The three girls lifted an eyebrow, knowing full well that he was lying.

"So," Loke started, still smiling charmingly at the three. His eyes centered on Lucy and she immediately blushed, feeling all eyes on her. She glanced over at the pink-haired boy, catching his gaze before looking down. "Hey," he said softly, reaching for her hand. She stiffened, pulling away immediately feeling violated. She didn't like this already. "If beauty were time, you'd be eternity."

"Um," she said softly. Levy cracked up behind her, not being able to hold it in anymore. Some of the boy's joined in with her, making Lucy's humiliation deepen. The blonde girl's voice was soft, not too high but sweetly feminine. "Please stop."

He didn't seem to listen because he continued, "Hey, what's your name? I'm…"

"Stop."

Everyone looked over at the boy who had spoken. It was Natsu. He looked down at the floor, his now longer salmon-pink hair shadowing his face. Gray and Gajeel looked at each other, clapping their best friend on the back. Once he looked up he gulped, looking Lucy straight in the eyes. Her gaze was unreadable. "I'm…um sorry. We should go."

Gray pulled Loke away, nodding at the other girls faintly. As the boys walked away Erza followed them with her gaze, smiling a little.

"What?" Levy asked, fixing her fine framed glasses while looking at Gajeel shyly from the back.

Erza looked over at them. "That pink haired guy…he's nice. And polite. I like him."

- *0*-

_3. ***The third time they met was at the park, late at night***_

"Can I go out?" Natsu asked his dad loudly, lying back on the couch lazily. He was petting his blue cat Happy who was purring happily, snuggling into his owner.

His father, Igneel just shrugged, fixing his tie quickly. "Sure son. You're seventeen now…so you're old enough to do anything you want these days." He looked over at his son, giving him a pointed look with the same similar black eyes. "Just…be careful. I probably won't be back for a few days because of business but…at least do that."

Something in the young man's eyes shifted. "Ok, be careful."

His dad put on his shoes before grabbing his suitcase. He glanced out the crystalline window of their modest apartment and nodded to his son saying the taxi was here. When the door finally closed behind him Natsu groaned, rolling his eyes back in his head with a yell.

He hated days like this.

No wait. He detested _weeks _like this.

Whenever his dad was gone on business or just _gone_, it made the apartment look more empty and darker than before. His dad added that necessary light, especially when his mother wasn't there to add it herself anymore. Sometimes, he wished he had that ability-to bring light and separate darkness in every situation, especially at home. But frankly, he just didn't have that ability. Or well, he thought he didn't have that ability.

In his group of friends, he was considered the "light". But honestly…he didn't know why. Personally he thought Gray fit that position more accurately. Even though, sometimes…the boy could be considered a little _cold._

Whenever he mentioned that to him he was inevitably called "flame brain".

Maybe he really _was _an idiot.

But over the past few years, the boy had matured. Maybe not necessarily in some ways, but concerning physical attributes, he had grown significantly. He had in fact grown taller; maybe not superbly tall but tall enough that he wasn't considered a thirteen-year old anymore. His jaw line was more prominent and masculine, pale pink lips more defined. Those black eyes still looked the same- genuine, mysterious and almost _soul-searching_. Longer, salmon-colored locks framed his lightly bronzed skin, giving him and interesting appearance. Gone were the days of skin and bone; now were the days of lean muscle. He was now a handsome young man, no longer a young naïve kid.

Natsu wished his cat a farewell, grabbed a white jacket, scarf and locked all the doors and windows to the apartment before heading out. As he got outside he pulled up the zipper to his chin, his beautiful hair flowing in the gentle wind.

It was dark outside, probably after eleven at night. He walked on the sidewalk, seeing only a few other people passing him every few minutes. Which he was grateful for. There were barely any cars on the road, so the air smelled fresh and anew- full of life and the past, not what it was now. Golden stars blinked down at him as he grinned joyfully, putting his hands infamously behind his head in subtle relaxation. It was times like this…when there was peace and tranquility that life seemed to stop perfectly for _just _him.

Before he knew it, he was walking in the direction to the park. He hadn't visited that park in ages, and for some reason, just seeing it again made him feel strangely nostalgic. Some couples walked by hand in hand goofy smiles on their faces. Just seeing them made him feel as if he were interrupting an intimate moment so he looked away clearing his throat.

As he neared the park he saw someone else on the swings. Because he couldn't see their face clearly from afar he shrugged it off, and walked closer before he took the available swing in his grasp. From his peripheral vision he could see the other person stiffen but he didn't notice, looking up at the sky. But as his ears grew sensitive he could hear crying from beside him. He gulped, turning to look at the citizen.

His eyes widened as he found, he could recognize her. It was that girl that Loke had hit on in the mall all those years ago! He always saw her two friends at school, the red-haired girl in a lot of his classes actually (every now and then they talked), but he had never seen her before.

Maybe she was homeschooled?

That _had _to be it.

He couldn't help but think that she had grown older too. Her honey-blonde hair was now mid-back, curling at the end prettily. Even in the late evening while it was colder outside she wore a miniskirt showing long, toned legs with black stilettos fitting her petite feet perfectly. Cleavage busted from her deep black v-neck shirt, but she didn't seem to notice. Those brown eyes were still innocent looking and that gave her image an interest allure. But the tears coming down her flushed cheeks were almost…_painful_ to look at.

Natsu thought _no one_ should cry. But for some reason…it looked almost _normal _on her.

"Hey," he said. She looked over at him, eyes widening before she wiped her eyes avidly, cheeks heating even more if that was possible. "Are you…OK?"

She looked down, her slender fingers curling together. "Um. I'm fine. Thanks."

Natsu answered bluntly, "No you're not."

She looked back up at him, trying to read his expression. But she couldn't for some reason…and that aggravated her. "Yeah, you're right," she sighed, looking back up at the sky with a twinkle in her eyes. "I'm sorry…you shouldn't have seen me crying."

The boy only shrugged, grinning a little goofily. "Don't take this weird but I recognize you."

She looked over at him, and then smiled. The light and brightness of that smile almost startled him. "I never got to say thank you," she replied quietly.

His eyes widened in surprise and happiness. "So you remember?"

"Of course!" she exclaimed. She glanced at him then twiddled with her fingers again, shyly it seemed. "I mean…that guy was really freaking me out..."

"Loke," he responded, almost irritated.

"Eh?" she asked, golden eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

Natsu eyes deadpanned. "That's his name: Loke."

"Oh," she replied, feeling stupid.

A long pause ensued between them so she continued, "Why is your hair pink?"

His eyebrows twitched. "Just because."

"It's natural?" she asked incredulously, staring at his pink hair while finding that she wanted to touch it.

"Yeah. I dunno why I have this hair but I think it's cool," he said, crossing his arms defensively over his chest. He pouted subconsciously and she laughed, brown eyes softening.

"What?" he asked, cocking his head to the side, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"You're cute," she responded.

This time he scowled, black eyes darkening. "Guys don't like to be called cute."

She smiled teasingly. "But…you are."

"No. I'm. Not."

"Yes you are."

He groaned, grabbing his hair in aggravation. "No I'm handsome!"

She laughed again. "Fine, you're handsome." Her eyes softened again.

He smiled triumphantly.

This time when the silence came it was more comfortable giving the two an opportunity to look at the stars.

"You shouldn't cry," Natsu said randomly. She looked over at him, surprised. When he looked back at her, his eyes were serious. "It doesn't suit you."

"Thank you," she answered quietly.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Lucy," she said quickly. "Lucy Heartfilia." She smiled brightly with a cute salute.

He grinned warmly back at her. "I'm Natsu Dragneel."

She got up from the swing. "I have to go. It was nice meeting you."

"Yeah, same."

He watched her leave without looking back.

- *0*-

_4. *** The fourth time they met was at the train station***_

Lucy to say the least was frantic.

Or paranoid.

All of her belongings were packed for college, either in duffels, suitcases or sent by train. This was the day she had been waiting for ever since she realized she lived in a prison cell of a mansion, with a stuck up bastard for a father. She had always wanted to go to public school- heck; even private school would have been amazing. But her father had forced her to be homeschooled, away from civilization.

The real world.

Processed food.

Her two best friends ever…

And a pink-haired guy she could never cease to forget.

It was funny. She didn't know how she felt towards the guy at all-whether it was romantic or just plain _friendly. _Basically, she had only talked to him once. And it was great. Entertaining even. And Erza even told her stuff about the guy whenever they talked on the phone. Not that she asked or anything… For Lucy…he was someone special. In a way she could never really describe.

Yes, it was creepy sometimes to know what they talked about. But she could _never _really talk about it to Levy who gushed about how her and her wonderful fiancé-yes fiancé- _Gajeel_, were traveling the world together.

Sometimes a friend can only take so much gushing.

But she was excited because well…she would be able to see Erza everyday at college. They would both miss Levy a ton, but they knew college really wasn't her "thing" in life right now. Gajeel was-even if they disagreed on that topic.

Even if she was the smartest person she and Erza had _ever_ met.

She had to head to the train quickly, because she was meeting Erza and she was already a few minutes behind. So she checked her outfit again, put on another layer of lip gloss and left that horrible containment called a home. It wasn't home at all. Home was where her heart was. And she knew deep down, that right now it belonged with her mom up in heaven and in the stars.

That's probably why she wanted to go into astrology.

Once she got to the train station she thanked her chauffeur and got out, dragging her suitcase and duffel with her excitedly. Adrenaline raced through her body and she accepted it, bouncing on the heels of her red stilettos. Her cheeks were a happy pink, eyes bright and her smile…a truly, happy genuine one. Some people bumped into her, but she truly didn't care. She was about to start her ideal future and that's all that mattered.

Nothing could get better than this.

She looked around the train station for Erza, and found her talking to someone. She couldn't see _who _exactly, but she could recognize her because of her long red hair. Grinning, she dragged her luggage over to her friend yelling, "Erza!"

Her friend turned around, smiling gorgeously. Lucy's eyes widened as she realized Erza was talking to none other than…Natsu and a guy with black hair.

_Natsu._

She walked over quicker, hugging Erza happily. Once they let go of each other with happy smiles she looked at Natsu and the black haired guy. The black-haired guy was very good-looking, with pale milk-white skin and a kind look to his eyes. He almost looked opposite of his pink-haired friend. Natsu smiled at her goofily, and she smiled back, feeling warm and strangely complete.

"Hi," she said softly, looking up into his black eyes.

"Hey," he replied quietly, hooking a thumb in his jean pants. He looked over at his friend and said, "Lucy this is Gray. Gray this is Lucy."

His friend smiled, nodding at Lucy. "Nice to meet you."

"Same." She smiled.

Erza spoke up, "Lucy, go let Natsu put your stuff away. We were planning to all sit together on the train. They're going to the same college as we are, while sharing a dorm too."

"Ah," Lucy said, glancing over at Natsu. "Natsu," she said with a small smile. He returned his gaze back to her. "Please grab my stuff. Gray, could you please help?"

"Aye!" they said, getting her stuff and walking away.

"Wow," Lucy said with a small chortle. "Those guys are really helpful."

"Yes they are," Erza agreed her deep brown eyes wistful and somewhere else. When her gaze focused again she smiled adoringly at the blonde.

"We're going to have fun," Lucy said, looking around with a bright smile. "I know we will."

"And we'll be together," Erza reminded sternly, eyes soft, while holding out her pinky. Truly, the gesture was childish but it was something they always did and that would never change. A tradition that would never end.

"Always," Lucy said confidently, leaning on the red-head affectionately while linking their pinkies together. It felt odd without Levy, but they both knew they had to get used it now.

They just had to.

_._

_._

_._

While they rode the train towards college for three days, they all found they had many things in common. Erza and the other's had talked before at their high school, but with Lucy it was very different. In a good way though. There was warmness, a light, something… aglow. Natsu had this, but with Lucy it just seemed to exemplify it. And shine brighter.

They laughed.

_Talked._

And slowly, became closer after all the time in the train.

It was then that Natsu realized, he felt more complete than he had for the longest time…and he wanted to know why.

- *0*-

_5. ***The fifth time they met was at astrology***_

The first class of the semester was starting at nine a.m. _sharp_.

Natsu woke up at eight a.m. Gray was already long gone, his bag and textbooks missing from his dresser. The dorm smelled faintly of coffee and cologne-that Gray knew he _didn't_ like. His eyes widened frantically and he got up immediately thereafter, not making his bed while getting dressed, brushing his teeth, taking a shower and packing all his belongings needed for his class. By the time he was done it was eight forty-five. Quickly grabbing a piece of bread, he ran a hand through his hair and ran to class.

A professor yelled at him, as well as some other students at Fiore University but he didn't care.

After a little bit he found his class and walked in, soon finding all eyes on him. Soon they all looked away and he groaned before he heard a sweet voice say, "Natsu!"

He looked around before he saw Lucy grinning and waving at him at the upper left corner of the room. Her hair was down once again, but this time she wore a pink halter top and a black skirt, complemented with white heels. He smiled back widely and ran towards her, catching the available seat to her left. That smile always seemed to startle him…but not in a bad way.

Which of course…made no sense whatsoever to him. But oh well.

"Wake up late?" she asked, smiling teasingly. Her cheeks were rosy, lips covered with a faint layer of light pink lip gloss.

He looked away, slightly ashamed. "Yeah…I like to sleep."

"I didn't know you were interested in astrology," she continued, laying down her books and taking out pencils. Finding her actions wise he copied her, still a little disoriented.

"I didn't know either," he replied glumly with a big scowl. Lucy thought his scowls were absolutely adorable. "I didn't sign up for this class. I submitted my transcripts late…so I got this."

"You might like it," she answered optimistically, ignoring his skeptic aura. "We could study together even."

"Why did you take this class then?" he asked, eyes wide with curiosity. She blushed, slightly flattered. It was rare when people showed attentiveness to what she said. And she appreciated it a lot from him,_ especially_, for some reason.

"My mom," she responded softly, her eyes slightly sad but full of love.

Natsu knew then that the topic of her mom was a fragile yet _precious_ topic. Maybe something he could work up to know more of, over time when their friendship progressed.

"There's the professor," a student said to the right of Lucy. Both of them glanced over at the student, slightly annoyed. "Shut up."

And they did just that.

.

.

.

Gray and Erza sat together in the college library, studying avidly for their classes. Both of them had already eaten, drank and done other errands…but now they were just using time to their advantage. They were waiting for Lucy and Natsu, hoping to study together before it became too late. A few days before, the four had made plans to study together.

Gray glanced up from his homework, yawning. His ebony hair was still in slight disarray, blue eyes slightly unfocused. "Where are they?" he asked, voice a little husky from eating pretzels. Quickly after, he coughed.

Erza sighed, eyes narrowing. "No idea. It's already past noon and they haven't come yet."

"Weird." He looked over at her.

"Definitely." She shared his glance.

Gray leaned back on his chair, eyes closing peacefully. "Is it me or do you think Natsu and Lucy…?" he trailed off, opening his eyes and raising his eyebrows.

"Have affection for one another?" Erza specified. He nodded, agreeing. "Then, yes. I think they do. It's just they don't…realize it yet."

"Excuse me," a high voice said behind Gray.

The red-haired beauty and handsome young man glanced back to find a very pretty girl looking at them, holding a stack of books. She had deep blue hair curled severely at the ends with a cute brown hat. Her eyes were also blue, skin pale, almost luminescent. Mid-thigh brown boots snuggled her long legs along with a white long skirt with high slits adorning her legs like a second skin. A v-neck light blue shirt finished the outfit.

"Yes?" Gray questioned, raising an eyebrow lazily.

The girl blushed before speaking. "Hello, Lluvia is in your class…for statistics and she would like to know if you h-had some n-notes about ch-chapt-ter one section two."

Gray had to first process she was talking about_ herself_ before he continued. Once he did, he smiled kindly, finding no threat in the girl. Erza did as well. "Well sure. You can sit down and copy them if you'd li…"

"Sure!" she interrupted, almost too happily. Her cheeks flushed an even deeper red as Gray's eyes widened. When Erza gave her a knowing look the girl was practically a fire truck. "U-um Juvia w-would l-like that."

As the young man and pretty new arrival talked, Erza looked away smiling affectionately.

'_Hm,' she thought._

- *0*-

_6. ***The sixth time they met was at a café***_

Natsu, Gray and Gajeel always had a tradition. That every weekend, whether it be Saturday or Sunday they'd go out and do something. Sometimes that something was the arcade, which Natsu and Gajeel were strangely excellent at. One time it was underage drinking, which didn't go well _at all_. Whatever it was that they did, they had fun doing it.

Now, Gray and Natsu had decided to just go to a café. It was sad without Gajeel, but they usually called him several nights throughout the week together. All that mattered was that he was _happy. _And he was.

But it didn't help that they missed their best friend terribly.

Once they arrived to the café (it was only a few minutes away from the campus itself), they were shivering from the cold. It was cold outside, the rain pouring heavily. Natsu hated this weather while Gray absolutely _loved_ it. Their hair was matted to their faces, jackets soaked and shoes drenched. Once they ordered, the café smelling of cinnamon and a hint of vanilla, they say down at a small booth sipping their drinks.

Natsu was in pure ecstasy, smiling goofily as he finished the drink insanely fast. Gray just stared at his friend weird, sipping his drink patiently.

Unlike the pink-haired guy.

"So," Gray said slowly, running a hand through his hair.

Natsu looked up, raising an eyebrow with a slight scowl. "This is weird without Gajeel."

"Yeah." Gray sighed. "I know. But all we have is each other now…we'll have to get used to it idiot. You're still my best friend."

"True," Natsu agreed. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before his black eyes lit up with excitement. "Let's do an arm wrestle."

The two smirked at each other competitively.

"You're going down _flame brain_," Gray said with a cocky smile, stretching his right arm, while flexing his muscles effectively.

"No, you are _idiot_," Natsu countered, stretching his arm even faster.

Once the two were done stretching they instantly got into their position, muscles flexing quite impressively. They stared at each other, eyes serious, and lips grim. Some people sitting around them looked at them as if they were nuts. Their hands tightened on each other eagerly, anxious to start this battle. Once they got a random person to say go, they started. For a good two minutes, they struggled. Sweat trickled down both of their foreheads, their muscles starting to ache. Finally they called a truce, finding no winner.

"Well that sucked," Gray said, rubbing his arm carefully.

"I wanted to win so badly!" Natsu exclaimed angrily.

Gray rolled his eyes, waiting for his friend to calm down. Once he did, he sipped his drink asking, "So…Lucy…"

"What about her?" Natsu asked, eyes narrowing, voice becoming strangely defensive.

"Do you like her?" Gray asked, eyes masked with a bored look.

"Yeah, she's a nice but weird person. Probably one of my closest friends," Natsu said, grinning.

'_Oh, this idiot', Gray thought. _The black-haired male resisted the urge to roll his eyes not once, but_ several_ times. "No I mean…do you have feelings for her?"

Natsu stayed quiet then, eyes oddly and rarely serious. "Er…I dunno. I mean…it's different with her than with Erza and other girls. Which doesn't make sense. Um, how do you know if you like a girl?"

Gray groaned, grabbing his hair, clearly aggravated. "Really?"

Natsu smirked. "Well, since you used to like Erza…"

Gray shivered, chilled from the past. "Never bring that up again. That was a big regret, trust me. I mean she's great as a friend but…_never_ bring that up again."

"OK whatever," Natsu responded breezily. His gaze still glinted mischievously. "I still remember the chocolate milk incident…"

Gray's eyes turned to ice. "Stop."

"Fine."

The two glared at each other heavily then, before Gray finally relented. "Ok…so how you know when you like a girl is different for everyone. For me…I know this sounds cheesy but….I just start to _notice_ things that I've never really noticed before. Like…a smile is just a smile ya' know? But with her…it astounds me and makes me warm every time you see it. Do you…uh… get what I'm saying man?"

Natsu nodded seriously. "Yeah, I know what you mean. With…Lucy," his eyes began to take a different light. "For some reason, um, her smile always surprises me. But…in a good way. And…er, well I always get insanely happy when she's around me. Almost, as if she completes me in a way I just can't describe…which is really weird. Every time we uh, hang out I always want know more-even if I don't say it out loud. Uh, yeah."

"You like her," Gray stated, his lips twitching into a smile. "I'm happy for you man. She's a great girl."

"Yeah. I know," he answered. _'I…I like Lucy?' he thought. _

"So are you going to tell her?" Gray asked, taking another sip of his now cold drink.

"What?" Natsu asked, confused.

"That you're totally into her idiot," Gray growled, becoming irritated of his dense character.

"Um-"

"Hey!" a sweet voice exclaimed, interrupting Natsu's train of thought. Both of the young men looked over and saw Lucy, Erza and another girl with them, heading their way.

Gray and Natsu grinned at the girls, finding more chairs. Once they all got situated the girls pulled off their jackets, relaxing. Erza's long hair was in a braid down her back, revealing more of her beautiful face. She wore a gray turtleneck, which had black sleeves and leather gloves.

"So…who's the new girl?" Gray asked, raising his eyebrows.

Erza smiled at Gray before saying, "This is a young girl looking around the campus with her guardian…Jellal." It shocked everyone but Lucy to see red color spouting on the beauties cheeks. "I've known him for a while so he said I could take her with me for a little bit. Gray and Natsu, this is Wendy. Wendy, this is Gray and Natsu."

Wendy was a cute little girl, with long blue hair and bright brown eyes. Her visage was slightly scared, but once Erza and Lucy assured her it was fine, she reached out and shook hands with both boys.

"What are you doing here?" Natsu asked, eyes training on Lucy.

The blonde's eyes lit up when she met his gaze and she smiled happily. Long, pink hair matted to his face made him look even more handsome to her. "Well…we were showing Wendy around for a little bit and we grew thirsty. Then we found this place…it's nice. It smells like cinnamon rolls. It's kind of coincidental to see you guys here. What are you guys doing here?"

Natsu answered, "Um…just to hang out. To escape for a little bit."

"Mmm," Erza answered. Her presence surprised them both.

"I can't believe astrology ended so quickly," Lucy blurted, eager for conversation with the salmon-haired boy.

"Yeah, I definitely couldn't have passed without you passing me notes during the tests," he said, smiling almost teasingly.

She hit his arm, looking down shyly. "Natsu."

He laughed, eyes crinkling. "We're still going to study together though right? My dorm on Tuesdays, your dorm Thursday's?"

"I hope so," she replied softly.

Erza and Gray cleared their throats, Lucy blushing. Wendy, who had been listening to the conversation the whole time, looked to the blonde, curious. "Lucy?" she asked.

"Yes?" Lucy answered sweetly, tucking a tuft of Wendy's blue hair behind the young girl's hair.

"Are you and Natsu dating?" she asked.

Lucy coughed a little, looking anywhere but his direction. Natsu stayed quiet, Erza and Gray exchanging amused glanced. "N-No, we're not," Lucy answered. She finally glanced over at Natsu, their eyes locking before she looked away. "We're just friends. Probably, one of my _best_ friends."

"Oh," the little girl replied.

- *0*-

_7. ***The seventh time they met was in the hallway***_

Lucy was just coming back from her class, needing to get to her dorm before Natsu got their first. It had been two years since they had all started college, and a lot had changed. All four of them were close friends, almost inseparable. Levy and Gajeel had already got married, all of them invited. Erza was dating Jellal and things were becoming much more serious with them now.

Lucy treasured her relationship with Erza much more now. They were sisters, no longer just best friends. Gray was like her brother and Levy, her sister as well, even if their friendship was slightly strained from being in two very different places.

But with Natsu…her friendship with him is something else _entirely_. They had grown much closer, so much closer that he seemed to know exactly what was up with her, as she was with him. And he told her personal stuff which she valued-issues and feelings he had only really ever told Gray and Gajeel. And she was able to do the same, finding him more safe and protective than even Erza.

She cared for him as a friend. But _loved _him as something else entirely.

As she walked down the halls she found herself in a mild collision with someone who was very tall and built. Both fell down, Lucy bumping her head on the ground. Some of her papers scattered, textbooks lying flat open on the ground. The man she had bumped into scurried away, taking his stuff. She groaned, holding her head while biting her lip. _'What a jerk,' she thought._

As she began to pick up her papers, slightly pissed, she felt a strong arm around her shoulders. _Natsu_. His infamous scarf tickled and hair tickled her face and she smiled a little. "What are you doing over here on this side of the campus?" she asked, standing up with his aid.

He picked up the rest of her stuff, and handed it to her grinning brightly. His grin, being irresistible made her smile back. "I was um, heading over to your dorm. What happened though?" he asked, looking at the bruise on her elbow.

She frowned, pushing a stray hair back, brown eyes flickering with anger. "I bumped into this guy and we ended up on the ground. He left without saying anything and…yeah." She shook the negativity from her tone and looked at Natsu, eyes shining. "It was nothing."

"No it wasn't," he corrected, voice harsh. "That bastard."

"It's OK Natsu," Lucy said, touching his arm. "I'm fine."

He looked down at her, fully assured. "Good. Let's go then. I'm hungry," he said, patting his stomach and walking quickly.

Lucy laughed, and followed him, not too far behind.

- *0*-

_8.** *The eighth time they met at her dorm***_

"I can't take it anymore," Gray said randomly, studying with Erza and Natsu in her dorm shared with Lucy. Natsu was in the kitchen, gathering drinks for all of them.

"What?" she asked carefully, already catching where this conversation was heading.

"Natsu and Lucy. It's killing me."

"Well, they are best friends." They shared an _"are you kidding" _look.

"They're obviously in love with each other, I mean c'mon! Lluvia and I got together much faster than them," he complained, eyes rolling in the back of his head with a groan. He was lucky the girl made the first move in his relationship.

"Well, every relationship is different," Erza reminded gently.

"True."

"Hey, I got the drinks," Natsu called from the small kitchen area, carrying a tray with a big goofy smile on his face. He looked at them, oblivious to their conversation. "What were you guys talking about? Ninja's?"

Both sighed, looking over at each other. "Some people just never change."

The door opened to the dorm and Lucy walked in, carrying some chips. Her eyes widened as she saw all of them staring at her. "Hehe, sorry. I was hungry and lost track of time..." Her face was deeply apologetic as she held up a bag of half-eaten chips.

"It's fine," Erza said, ushering her over. "Come sit. Natsu and Gray are about to leave after their done with those drinks anyway."

"OK." Lucy said brightly, closing the door behind her and taking off her heels with a big sigh of pleasure. Gray walked over and took the chips from her, putting a handful into his mouth playfully.

"Gray!" she said, running after him with faux anger.

The black-haired man just laughed and ran from her before Erza commanded them to stop. Natsu just ignored the whole situation, sitting down and leaning back on a chair with his hands behind his head. He closed his ears off to Erza's long lecture of no running in the house, even when it was a dorm, and the dangers of it (Which he had heard many times). As he was about to fully fall into a faint nap, he felt someone sit on his exposed eight-pack stomach.

It had to be Lucy, because honestly, Erza would _never _do that. He didn't even _want_ to think about if Gray did it.

But he pretended to be asleep, also disregarding her presence.

Sleep was a beautiful thing for sure.

- *0*-

_9. ***The ninth and final time they met was just outside a big tree***_

"No."

"Dude."

"No."

"Flame brain, you have got to tell her. This is really getting on my nerves!" Gray yelled in their dorm, eyes wide. He was in his bunk, looking up at Natsu from his bottom bunk. His hair was standing up from lying down on the pillow, and his pale chest was exposed. "I mean, man up, and tell her."

Natsu lied back on his bed, sighing, eyes closed painfully. "I can't…I mean I don't even know if she cares about me in the same way that I do with her. If she doesn't…it'd ruin our friendship."

"She likes you," Gray said, rolling his eyes, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Natsu sat up immediately, looking down at his friend. Gray jumped a little, surprised at his friend's reaction. "Really?" Natsu asked, smiling goofily, eyes twinkling.

"Yup." _'Wow, he really is dense,' Gray mused. _

Then Natsu's eyes narrowed. "Wait…are you sure? How do you know?"

Gray face palmed himself, angry almost to the point of screaming at his best friend. "Because it's that obvious! Because Erza and I always complain about you two every freaking day! Because of the way she looks at you, you stinkin' idiot!" Natsu looked taken aback from his friend's words, clearly in shock. Gray calmed down, looking away from his friend and saying, "If you don't believe me, go ask her yourself. Night."

Natsu turned away from his friend, thinking heavily. He knew the route that Lucy took to get to the dorm on Thursday's which was tomorrow. Sometimes he would walk with her. But anywho, he knew that she often walked by this huge tree in the left of the field of the campus.

He would meet her there and talk to her then and…confess. He gulped, grabbing his hair in fear. Gray was right.

Natsu needed to man up.

And tell the Lucy that she held his heart.

.

.

.

It was the next day and for once in his life, the young nineteen year old was truly frightened. He went to his class late, lectured by his teacher for the first time all semester. One of his acquaintances, a guy called Max, snickered at him the whole time. So, as he struggled to pay attention during class he tapped his pencil, glanced at the clock, and ran a hand through his hair too many times to count. When class finally finished, an hour and a half later, he rushed out towards the fields.

Lucy's class was over but he knew she always stayed some minutes after to talk to the professor one-on-one. So, thankfully, he had time.

He quickly found the tree and just looked at it, instantly calmed. It was tall, lush and full of different varieties of green. The trunk had exquisite marks on it from the bark, and a calm wind blew, making him feel nostalgic.

The tree reminded him of when he was younger. When he sat under the huge tree in the park and just thought about life. Or sometimes, even himself and others. All of a sudden, a memory hit him full force, making his body stand still. He remembered a blonde girl under the tree, reading a book. Their eyes locked. He spoke to her. Her eyes were the same as Lucy's, hair, the exact same color. Hands, the same delicate way they had always been.

No.

His eyes widened in realization. The young girl under the tree on that day…was _Lucy. _No wonder she looked familiar when he saw her those few times. How he managed to remember, made no sense to him at all.

Suddenly, the view on his life had changed. It hadn't been just coincidental that he had seen her all those times. It was _fate. _It was a blessing that God, or whatever omnipotent being out there, had sent this beautiful angel in his life not once. But many times.

It was then, that he didn't feel so scared anymore.

"Natsu!" Lucy yelled, jogging towards him with a smile. He turned and saw her, slightly holding her bag on her left shoulder. Her blonde hair was up in a ponytail, still curling prettily at the ends. She looked surprised to see him, almost as if this didn't happen much at all: that he waited for her. This of course, was true. Once she got to him, she paused gazing at him with a pleased look. "Why are you here? It's rare that you wait for me over here."

He shrugged, smiling down at her. "It's nothing, I have time. Honestly, I, um, have to tell you something."

"What?" she asked.

He sat down on the grass, crossing his legs. He motioned for her to sit down and she did so, sitting in front of him on her knees. She put her bag down, narrowing her eyes to look at him as a heavy wind blew. Once it subsided, her eyes widened again naturally. His pink hair was perfectly disheveled, cheeks slightly rosy. God, he was handsome.

"Lucy, do you like me?" he asked bluntly.

"Of course," she said, leaning closer to him and putting a hand gently on his knee. She smiled at him. "You're…one of my best friends." She looked down, blushing slightly, hoping he didn't see. "You're special to me."

He put his masculine hand over hers, causing her to freeze. "I don't mean in that way, weirdo."

Lucy's heart stopped, the grass tickling her exposed legs. The way he was looking at her now…almost _vulnerable _scared her. _'No…he couldn't be…'_"Let me say a few things," she said, her voice cracking a little.

"Um…well at first I loved you like a friend. You listened to me, stood up for me when no one else wanted to. And you were something I didn't have much of in my life…like you know," she continued, tears starting to prick her eyes. She bit her lip, now unaware of Natsu's gaze on her. She was babbling…but for once, she didn't care. "But then…I loved you like a best friend. You were there for me. You were special and just absolutely great."

She put her head down, tears bursting from her eyes. Natsu kept listening, quiet, his heart racing faster than he had ever thought it could. "But now…Natsu, I love you like anything else. It's almost like you're a friend, best friend and love in this one, _amazing _package. So when you asked me that question, I didn't know what to say. I like you…but I love you so much more."

Natsu gulped, absolutely stupefied. He honestly wasn't expecting this at all. Silence continued between them until Lucy looked up, urging him with her eyes to say anything. Something. "Lucy…I love you too."

"Really?" she asked, her voice going _way _higher than usual. She was in shock.

He smiled at her, amused, eyes soft. She blushed, embarrassed. "Yup. I have for a while."

"Good," she grinned, taking her hand on his knee and enlacing it with his fingers. The feeling of his hand cupping hers was absolutely amazing. It was almost as if their hands knit perfectly together. "I was afraid that…this whole thing was one-sided."

"Why?" he asked, eyebrows bunching up cutely.

She shrugged, looking into his eyes shyly. "I don't know…its just love can be insecure. And...yeah. I don't know. I was just afraid."

"You cried," he said, wiping her cheek gently while nearing her, breath tickling her face. She stiffened. His eyes lowered to her lips, noticeably and her heart warmed. Soon, her brown gaze followed to his pale pink lips.

Lucy leaned closer to him, her lips bare millimeter's away from his. "Stop staring at my lips," she murmured, a golden hair falling over her eyes.

He smirked. "Only if you do first."

Soon, he leaned closer and brushed her lips with his before pulling away. He looked at her, Lucy's eyes almost challenging or begging him to do more than that. So he did, leaning in and kissing her again, a hand trailing on the small of her back. Her open hand gently landed on his strong chest, pulling his shirt and his body towards her. Their lips moved with one another's until it got the point that they _had _to pull away.

After a little while Natsu said out of nowhere, hoping to jog her memory, "When I was younger I would always go under this huge tree in the local park. It was huge. One time…I saw this blonde girl who was reading a book…"

"Eh?" Lucy exclaimed, looking at him incredulously. "That was you?"

"Yeah," he said smugly, letting go of her hand while leaning back on the grass, hands behind his head with a satisfied smile. "I just put the pieces together right before I saw you."

"That's so weird," she said, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully. "Wow…that's so…"

"Unrealistic?" he asked, pointing at her.

"Exactly," she said, pointing back at him. Then she lied down beside him, staring up at the sky, taking her hand in his. She blushed a little, unusual to this kind of affection between them.

Right there, at that moment.

By a girl that had opened his eyes in ways he could never say- and loved him just as much as he loved her…

Natsu realized he was complete, in a way he could never describe with words.

And he would never let that go.

_Fin_


End file.
